Potter's Place
by forksbluehorse
Summary: Harry Potter has traveled the world and now decides he wants to come home. But everybody has to do something with their life. Follow Harry's Next Great Adventure. Rated T for now. We will see if that needs to change in the future.


**AN: **I have written dozens of stories and I never seem to be able to see them through. I have one now where I have a vision of the future and a few chapters in the bank. This will unfold in the next weeks or until I run out of ideas, whichever comes first. Sorry, but you know how people are, especially here. So if you like the premise, welcome. If you hate it, move on. And as always, I don't own squat. All rights belong to the Queen J.K. the first. God save the Queen.

**Potter's Place**

Wizards are stupid.

There was really no other explanation. Two years after the battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter had made his way back to England. He had taken a sabbatical. At least, that is what he decided to call it. Abandonment is what the Ministry and the Daily Prophet called it.

During his absence, about six months into his "sabbatical", he had been tracked down by Neville Longbottom. Neville had made Auror. Neville had tracked him down under the direction of the ministry. He was being charged with a number of crimes, both real and imagined, but Neville did not take him into custody. He found him on a beach in Hawaii and they spent a week catching up and enjoying the local attractions.

Due to his months spent in the United States, he called a friend he met who was a lawyer for MACUSA. The lawyer went to the ICW, filed a motion with the International governing body and had the charges dropped before Neville woke up in Honolulu his second day.

Life was a very different experience for Harry Potter once he left the insular island that is Great Britain. He found out there was a big wide world out there who didn't know who the hell he was. That was very liberating. He found out that the galleons that filled his vault, and the many millions more that he inherited from Sirius, were worth a lot of money in the rest of the world. Magical Britain was still on the gold standard, but the rest of the world had moved on. The real dependence was when the galleons were minted. In the Black vault alone, there were over half a million galleons. That made them worth 3.3 billion galleons. In British pounds, It was worth 24.5 billion.

This struck Harry two ways. One, he would bankrupt Britain if he cashed them all in; and two, he would never have to work a day in his life if he chose not to.

As was mentioned, liberating.

Another thing that Harry had discovered is that all nations were closed magical societies. They truly feared muggles, or as the rest of the world called them, mundanes. He also realized why many of the muggle born students at Hogwarts often left the magical society. It was simply too difficult to know about the wider world and not live in it than to stay in a totally isolated existence. Magic was interesting and fun to play with, but trying to live a completely magical life was just too hard.

He also discovered, after the charges against him were dropped, that he was quite well known, world wide. Again, it made him a celebrity in the magical communities, but a completely anonymous mundane. Both had their plusses, but the magical community definitely had its minuses. Magic could only do so much, unless you wanted to focus on one specific branch of magic. Then it took a few years to become a master and there were even fewer people who wanted to employ a master charms practitioner. A few generalists with a brave outlook were employed by the goblins, but most could only hope for a job in the ministry. Even there, you had to be well connected to find a spot and even better connected to ever hope for advances.

But the greatest thing that he discovered was good food and even better wine. It became his passion. He was amazed at how much an appreciative diner could be pampered and attention paid if said diner only asked and was genuinely interested in the craft. Chefs and vintners alike spoke of their creations as if they were art and if the audience was well heeled, they were like narcotic dealers. They would offer free wares knowing that a sale would be following, as surely as day followed night.

He had also taken up the hobby of recreating his favorite dishes. And he enjoyed pairing wines he enjoyed with the different dishes. The wineries knew how to sell and there were plenty of collectors in the world. Thanks to the Dursleys, he knew his way around a kitchen. Who would have thought a frightful upbringing would yield a skill that would pay dividends.

After two years, he realized what many of the idle rich realize. Being idle was boring. Very boring. A small idea hatched in his brain. Fine dining establishments in the wizarding world were rare. So with the seed of an idea in his head and a pile of cash in the bank, Harry Potter came back to Great Britain and become a restrauteur. If only he could think of a great name.


End file.
